RFID devices can be produced in a number of different methods and commonly include some sort of chip attachment to an antenna which is then used to make an RFID device. The chip can be attached either through the use of a strap or may be applied directly to the antenna. The antenna is a conductive material which may be produced by etching, die cutting or printing of conductive ink on a substrate.
Conductive laminates such as foil laminates are used in a number of applications, ranging from containers for microwave packages to smart cards. Such laminates have regularly been created by die cutting, stamping, and other mechanical processes that generally lend themselves well to high speed situations in which a relatively simple shape or pattern can be created.
The increased demand for circuits has created a need for a manufacturing method that can quickly and efficiently produce such circuits. Once such method is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0171129 A1. This method includes the steps of providing a reinforced metal foil laminate, having a metal foil layer bonded to a reinforcement layer, and a carrier layer bonded to the metal foil laminate. The method includes the step of using a rotary die cutter to cut an antenna pattern through the metal foil laminate to the carrier layer. The method concludes by removing an undesired matrix portion of the reinforced metal foil laminate to provide a metal foil laminate antenna disposed on the carrier layer.
A rotary die cutter has been used to produce various structures because it is both fast and inexpensive. However, rotary die cutters have poor resolution and are currently limited to having a minimum distance between cut lines of about 1 mm. An additional problem with using a rotary die cutter to cut a construction requiring high precision and tolerance is that the cylindrical die used by the rotary die cutter cannot be quickly or easily changed. Accordingly, the design is not readily changeable, and thus it is often not economically feasible to produce small batches of a particular design because of the need to constantly change out die heads. Furthermore, any change in design would require a large lead-time, as a new cylindrical die must be manufactured each time the design is changed. This can create a large inventory of die heads, the storage of which can occupy valuable factory floor space.
What is needed therefore is a method and apparatus that can produce small batch of RFID devices in a finished format that is ready to use and relatively inexpensive so that RFID device manufacturing can be co-located with the manufacturing of consumer goods such as apparel items.